Knitting and similar machine



Nov. 12, 1935. J. MAURrrscH E T Al. 2,020,694

KNITTING AND SIMILAR MACHINE I Filed March 6, 1935 3 Sheets-$11881. 1

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Nov. 12, 1935- J. MAuRlTscH ET AL. 2,020,694

KNITTING AND SIMILAR MACHINE Filed March 6, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 /f n x f) l Munnunnnnunmnn je QC cau/vri@ Calm/N6 lBY je fr ATTORNEY Nov. 12, .1935.` J. MAuRrrscH Er Al.

KNITTING AND SIMILAR MACHINE Filed March 6, 1935 3 Shee'ts-Sheet 3 o e o ,o o o o o o o o o e o o o o o 'o o of .7a/nv ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 12, l1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KNITTING AND SIMILAR MACHINE John Mauritsch and Charles Mauritsoh, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Our invention relates to machines used in the textile industry, but more particularly to knitting machines, for making knitted goods, such as sweaters, and the like.

One of the drawbacks of the knitting machines now in use is that the knitted material as it comes from the knitting needles curls, and one of the principal objects of our invention is to provide means whereby certain portions of the knitted material are subjected to a steaming operation immediately followed by a drying operation.

'I'his we accomplish by disposing below the needle-beds lengthwise thereof a pipe having a narrow slot or slots, through which steam may escape supplied to said pipe from any suitable source. Below said pipe, hereinafter referred to as steam-nozzle, is arranged an air nozzle connected to an air conduit leading to a blower whereby continually air is sucked through said air nozzle. The said steam nozzle and air nozzle are so located, that the knitted material as it comes from the knitting needles passes directly in front of them.

Another object of our invention is to automatically control the steaming and drying operations so that only certain portions of the knitted material will be subjected to the action of the steam and the drying air, while other portions are not subjected thereto.

In the knitting of sweaters, for instance, it is desirable that the wrist portions at the ends of the sleeves and the bottom and neck portions retain their elasticity. Therefore, in the knitting of sweaters, the steaming and drying operations are so controlled that only the body portion of the sweater is steamed and dried.

Other objects of our invention will appear from the following description and the claims in which we have more definitely pointed out the various novel features of our improvement as applied to a knitting machine of the type described and shown, for instance, in Patent No. 1,824,320, in which two needle beds or needle plates are provided, one stationary and the other shiftablev or adapted to be racked.

On the attached drawings, we have shown only so much of the knitting machine parts as found necessary to illustrate and describe our invention. On said drawings, Fig. 1 is a. transverse section through a knitting machine of the type referred to, embodying our invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the machine shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows the automatic pattern control and control for the steaming and drying operation;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the steam-nozzle and the air-nozzle; Fig. 5 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, of the chain forming part of the automatic control for the steam and air-nozzle; Fig. 6 shows the usual pattern control; Fig. 7 5 is a Wiring diagram.

In Fig. 1, the machine frame is shown at A, while the two needle beds or needle plates are shown at 35 and 36. At 34 in Fig. 2 is also shown the Jacquard bar. The knitted material is in- 10 dicated at 29, while at 26 is shown the feed roller, whereby the knitted material is fed along.

21 denotes an auxiliary clamping roller cooperating with the feed-roller 26 for feeding the knitted material. The clamping roller 21 is 15 actuated by an arm 2B resting on the edge of an angle iron 30 forming a part of the machine frame.

At 2| is indicated the steam-nozzle comprising as shown a pipe having a narrow slot extending 20 nearly throughout the entire length of the pipe. Below the steam-nozzle 2| is disposed the airnozzle shown at 20 to which is connected an airconduit I" leading to a blower indicated at driven by the motor shown at in the wiring 25 diagram of Fig. 7 and in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 1, the steam-nozzle 2| and the air-nozzle 20 are so disposed that the knitted material as it comes from the knitting needles passes directly infront of said steam-nozzle and air-nozzle. At 30 22 and 23 are indicated cover-plates adapted to be clamped or snapped respectively onto the air-nozzle and the steam-nozzle, to close certain portions of the same, as more clearly shown in Fig. 4.

The steam-nozzle 2| and the air-nozzle 2|) are supported by brackets 3| and 3|', which by bolts, or other suitable means, are secured to the above said angle iron 30. The two brackets 3| and 3|' are also shown in Fig. 2. In said figure, on the 40 left, there is also shown at 24 a lead-off pipe for the condensing steam, which is discharged into the box shown at 25.

At 32 in Fig. l is shown a fixed steam-shield confining the steam area, while at 32 is shown 45 a pivoted steam-shield held under the tension of a spring (not shown) and provided for preventing steam from reaching the needle-beds. At 32 is shown a set-screw extending through a small bracket, by which screw the position of 50 the pivoted steam-shield relative to the knitted material can be adjusted.

Steam is supplied to the steam-nozzle 2| through a pipe shown at |2 in Figs. 1 and 2. At 4 is shown an emergency steam valve, while 55 at 6 is shown an emergency switch contact for the electric motor operating the blower coinnected through air conduit i" with the airnozzle 20. At 1 is indicated a solenoid having a core 8 formed as a latch adapted to cooperate with a movable latch bar shown at 6. At 8 is shown a tension spring attachedto said latch bar 6 for moving the same to the position shown in Fig. 1 as soon as it is released by latch 8 of the solenoid 1. y

At I0 is shown a latch-rod, while at I I is shown the main motor yoke lever. At I3'is shown the steam valve arm having lugs I4 and I4 projecting from it on opposite sides.` At I5 is shown a rod carried by the latch-rod III and adapted to cooperate with lug I4 of steam-valve arm I3. At I9 is shown the manual control switch for the main driving motor.

In Fig. 3 there is shown at 42 the shaft for the controland pattern-chains I6 and I8 -respec tively. Shaft 42 is supported in brackets 43. 4|)4 denotes a small ilxed ratchet wheel on shaft 42, while at 38 is shown a large loose ratchet wheel. These two ratchet wheels are adapted to cooperate respectively with an eccentric controlled ratchet arm 4I and a ratchet roller 4I'. At 44 is shown the gear for the pattern chain I8, while at 45 is shown the gear for the chain I6 controlling the steam supply and electrically operated blower switch. At 46 is shown a hand-wheel for the manual operation of shaft 42.V The pattern control chain I8 is provided with a lateral projection, shown at 41 in Fig. 3, adapted to cooperate with a lever 48 operating the counter bar 49 of a counter shown at 5l) provided with a counter contact 50'. The control chains shown at I6 and I8 in Fig. 3 are provided with chain weights (not shown).

In Fig. 6 is shown on an enlarged scale the pattern control, while in Fig. 5 is shown on an enlarged scale the control chain for the steamand motor-bloWer-control. These chains, as appears from said figures, have high links and low links for the purpose hereinafter described.

The operation of our improvement can be easily followed from the wiring diagram of Fig. 7 in which at 5I is shown the main driving motor, while atV 52 is shown the coupling. The motor for operating the blower connected with the airnozzle is shown at I.

While the needles of the needle beds 35 and 36 have been knitting the body portion of a sweater, both the steam-nozzle 2| and the air-nozzle 20 have been operating so that the knitted material, while passing in front o1' these nozzles has been subjected to both a steaming and an air-drying operation.

The control chain I6 for both the steam and motor-blower control is mounted on the same shaft (42) as the pattern control chain I8 .as above described and as shown in Fig. 3, which shaft, by means, of the ratchet 46 is stepwise rotated every time when roller 4I mounted on the eccentric arm 4I drops into one oi' the depressions 38' formed in the pattern control chain 38 shown in Fig. 6. 'I'his control chain 38 as shown obviously permits the loose ratchet wheel 39 to be moved stepwise three times, before the fixed ratchet Wheel 40 is moved one step. This one-step movement of ratchet wheel 40 moves the pattern control chain I8 and the steamand blower-control chain I6 one link. As the body portion of the sweater is about to be finished, the high links of the chain I6, which travels in the direction of the arrows shown in Fig. 5, have nearly passed the chain-operated steam-valve 3. so that as the chain travels on, the head I1 provided on the stem of said valve drops of! the high links with the result that the valve by means oi the string encircling its stem is closed so that 5 no more steam can pass through the pipe I2 to the steam-nozzle 2|. At the same time, also the blower motor `switch shown at 2 in Fig. 7 is opened, and the motor I operating the blower stops. 10 At 4 in Fig. 7 is shown an emergency steam valve, also shown in Figs. 1 and 2, while at 8 is shown an emergency motor blower switch contact. The operation oi these parts is as iollows: l5 Should during the knitting operation a thread break, then the thread-guiding arm shown at 53 in Fig. '1 will move in the direction of the arrow and close a contact 54, with the result that the solenoid 1 included in the circuit is energized. l0 The core forming the latch 8 is then drawn inwards, i. e. toward the left in Fig. 7, releasing the latch-bar 8, which by the spring 8 is moved upwards to the position shown inFig. l. 'I'he latchbar 6 being operatively connected with latch- 25 rod I0 moves thev latter upwards to thev position also shown in Fig. 1, in which position the rod I0 operates the lever II and thereby unclutches the coupling 52 of the main driving'motor 6I.

By the arm I6 at the lower end ofthe latch rod 30 I0 and the steam valve arm I3, the lug I4 of which is engaged by the said arm I5, the emergency steam valve shown at 4 is closed so that irrespective of whether the steam valve shown at 3 is open, no further steam will ow into and through 35 pipe I2 to the steam nozzle 2I. 'I'he latch rod I0 when moved upwards by the latch-bar 6 also by means of one of the laterally projecting lugs (I4') on arm I3 of the emergency steam valve operates the switch arm 5 (Figs. 1 and 7) so as to 4o break the contact and open the circuit with the result, that the motor I operating the blower for the air-nozzle 20 is stopped. Y 'I'he same will occur when thel pointer of the counter shown at 50 in Fig. 7 has reached a posi- 45 tion, in which it makes contact with the contact arm 50. after a predetermined number of sweaters, for instance, has been produced. Also in that case, the solenoid 1 is energized, the emergency steam valve 4 is closed and theemergency 50 the latch-bar 6, whereby the latter, together with the latch-rod III, can be returned tothe position shown in Fig. 7, while at the same time the tension spring 8 operating the latch-bar and latchrod is placed under tension again.

While we have described and shown a complete embodiment of our invention, we do not, of course. thereby limit ourselves to this embodiment, becausethe' same is obviously capable ot various modifications and changes comprised within the essence of our invention.

.We claim:

1. In a knitting or similar machine, the combination with the operating tools. a support therefor and a pattern control mechanism, oi' a steam-nozzle provided in the path oi' feed of the material produced by the machine extending across the same, an air-nozzle disposed below said steam-nozzle and means operated by said pattern control for automatically controlling the steam supply to said steam-nozzle and the operation of said air-nozzle.

2. In a knitting or similar machine, the combination with the operating tools, a support therefor and a pattern control mechanism, of a steam-nozzle provided in the path of feed of the material produced by the machine extending across the same, an air-nozzle disposed below said steam-nozzle, means operated by said pattern control for automatically controlling the steam supply to said steam-nozzle and the operation of said air-nozzle, an electric circuit, an emergency steam Valve and an emergency switch included in said circuit, movable means normally retaining said emergency steam valve and emergency switch in inoperative position, and an electrically operated means in said circuit adapted to be actuated upon the breaking of a thread, or the like, so as to release said retaining means thereby effecting the closing of said valve and the opening of said switch.

3. In a knitting or similar machine, the combination with the operating tools, a support therefor, a pattern control chain and a shaft carrying said control chain, of a steam-nozzle provided in the path of feed of the material produced'by the machine, extending across the same, an airnozzle disposed below said steam-nozzle, a controlchain mounted on the shaft carrying said patterncontrolchain andhaving high and low links, means eiecting a stepwise rotation of said shaft, and means operated by said second control-chain for automatically controlling the steam-supply to said steam-nozzle and the operation of said airnozzle, an electric circuit, an emergency steamvalve and an emergency switch included in said circuit, movable means normally retaining said emergency steam-valve and emergency switch in inoperative position, and an electrically operated means in said circuit adapted to be actuated upon the breaking of a thread, or the like, so as to release said retaining means thereby effecting the closing of said valve `and the opening of said switch.

4. The combination as specified in claim 3, including manual means for returning said movable retaining means to their inoperative positions.

5. In a knitting or similar machine, means disposed to direct steam onto an article being produced by the machine, a pattern control mecha- 1 5 nism, and means operated by said pattern control mechanism to cut olf the supply of steam to said means prior to completion of the article and while the machine continues in operation producing the article. 10

6. In a knitting or similar machine, means for steaming an article being produced by the machine, means for subsequently drying the article,

a pattern control mechanism, and means operated by said pattern control mechanism to stop the 16 operation of said drying means prior to completion of the article and while the machine continues in operation producing the article.

7. In a knitting or similar machine, means for directing steam onto material produced by the 20 machine, and means rendered operable bythe breaking of a thread from which the material is being formed to cut o the steam supply.

8. In a knitting or similar machine, means to direct steam onto an article being produced by 25 the machine, means for subsequently drying the article, and means rendered operable by the breaking of a thread from which the article is being formed to cut oif the steam supply and to simultaneously render the drying means inop- 30 erative.

9. In a knitting or similar machine, a nozzle disposed to direct steam onto an article being produced by the machine, a valve controlling ilow of steam to said nozzle, means tending constantly to close said valve, releasable means to hold said valve open, motor operated air suction means for drying the article, and a switchcontrolling operation of said motor, the machine including a pattern control mechanism, and means 

